


To Begin Again

by AlexMcpherson79



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adult Mind | Child Body and Emotions, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Gen, Kid Skye | Daisy Johnson, Skye has a bit of PTSD unresolved, Skye | Daisy Johnson-centric, The Doctor Who Crossover is small and purely because of 'Clara' being in Captain America., Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-04-20 10:44:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4784468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexMcpherson79/pseuds/AlexMcpherson79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you've been the best, done so much, learned a lot and generally have as complicated personal connections as she does, it's not that surprising that Skye finds it difficult being 'Skye' again, at the beginning, before SHIELD 2.0, Before Cybertek, Before The Clairvoyant and Centipede, before Coulson... before the Rising Tide... And somehow, before SHIELD itself.<br/>Though not having access to the internet makes things difficult, there's the added part where she's a nine year old in pre-Captain-America WWII New York.<br/><b>Update</b>: Now with Agents of SHIELD pilot!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Avenger Has a New Sidekick

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Bunny. Sorry, but anything that's written below* is all I'll do, probably, and It's up for adoption. Also, unbeta'ed, and with very little in the way of rewriting to 'read' better. so it can be a bit meandering with grammatical issues. probably. Just because I know how to spell words like Simultaneously and know the difference between definite, definitive, definitely and definitively, also, minuet is not one typo I ever seem to make, doesn't mean I can construct Dialogue that would sound right when read aloud by it's character, or description worthy of a small novel. Or combine the two properly. I know a habit of mine is to either 'describe' scenes, walls of text basically, or write lots of dialogue where I forget to point out who's saying what, and when I do, it's lots of x-said, y-said, x-said, y-said. z-replied. A-asked. basically little change-up.
> 
> Not to say you shouldn't read! If you want to write the idea, go ahead and take the basic setup: Skye, as a child, In World War II, meeting Steve Rogers (pre-Europe, pre-Superserum) and becoming, for a short while at least, his sidekick. And a de-aged skye in that role makes more sense than the actual comic character - Bucky was a CHILD of same age or so! Or thats the impression I got from a bit of uproar when CA:TFA's Bucky Barnes actor was announced. I dunno, Only read two issues of Spiderman, no other comics.
> 
> Warning: Because Connie in the stark expo scene was played by Jenna Coleman who played Clara Oswald in Doctor Who, I added that as a crossover of sorts. well, two scenes with: Clara in the expo outed as Clara and not 'connie', and TARDIS is how she gets from wherever to Europe because during the USO tour, when it changes to go to Europe they left her behind. (She's not in the act, she just lives with Steve as she had him made her guardian with his agreement)
> 
> * got bit, so there's another chapter after this for modern day, well, part of the AoS pilot.

**1940s America.**

"Thanks." She spoke, looking up at the man... boy... manchild? that had stopped the bullies, only for himself to be saved by a guy in uniform. "Both of you."

"Come on Skye, lets get some ice cream." the shorter one spoke, offering a hand, and the part of her that was still a child almost squeelled with delight, the the other part, the adult part, offered a different response.

"For me or for your face?" She asked, and Steve looked down (just a little though) at the girl who'd been sticking around him since his best friend disappeared for the army.

"I'd say both." The other figure in the alley spoke, and Skye had to contain everything not to hug the face she recognised better than Steve's.

"Kick you out already?" Steve jokingly asked.

"Nah, got some time before I deploy out. Whose this?" Bucky Barnes asked.

"A pain in the neck." Steve answered as Skye also answered with her name, the one she chose.

"Skye, huh? And why does he think you're a pain in the neck?" Bucky asked her directly.

She gave a thoughtful look as the three got out onto a main street in brooklyn. "I dunno... I suppose for the same reason you think  _he's_ a pain in the neck?"

"Gee, Thanks." Steve inserted as Bucky started to chuckle.

-

"Hey guys."

Steve, Bucky, and their partners for the evening both looked at the girl who had interrupted their little double date, of sorts.

"Skye, what are you doing here?" Steve asked concerned, and immediately gave her his coat since she was shivering a little - although that was a tactical thing on her part.

She looked at the two girls, and spoke, "Well, I was spying, but then I realised that you weren't really all into the date thing. And instead of nothing but disappointment for everyone but you, since you're, well,  _you_. I thought that these girls would much rather just have a nice night that happens to be with two cool guys. Even if one of those said two guys will be shorter than me once I've started puberty. Hey Clara." She waved at one of the girls, whos eyes widened for a moment.

"Really..." Steve looked at the two women, and one (Bucky's date) sighed and nodded, since the girl had been more invested in trying to get her new friend dating more than her own. The girl that he was sure was called Connie, but apparently also Clara since 'Connie' didn't object to Skye calling her that, was slowly nodding but also looking with a strange look at Skye.

"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" Clara/Connie asked.

Skye grinned. "Not exactly. Yes, no... Wibbly Wobbly thing, you can probably ask the Doctor."

"Doctor Who?" Clara asked with a raised eyebrow, then smiled at the grin Skye herself grew at the question. "Ah, you know the doctor?"

Skye lost her grin, though the new emotion was a sad one. "Of him. Thirty chances, thirty times I missed him by a second. Though I did get to meet the missus, you could say. You know," She moved in a little and spoke with a stage whisper, "the one he calls sexy when he thinks no one's paying attention." She sighed, and looked up at the others who were clueless.

"Sorry. Anyway. Were to first?"

Clara spoke first. "Where do you want to go?"

-

Clara held back to the others' curiosity. However, what she wanted to ask was aborted by Skye's own comment/question. "What are you doing here?" She whispered, "And, please tell me we're not going to be invaded by Daleks...  _again_. It was a pain in the butt dealing with them when I was in a body that was fully grown and still in fighting condition, with a team of people who could match them one on one or better, but I'm a kid thanks to him. And this is my show, not his. He can wade into someone elses' timey wimey adventures."

Clara bit a lip for a moment, as she processed that, and what it all meant. "You're..." She finalled asked.

Skye was confused, until clara crossed her heart and then held up two fingers. "Oh, no. Rejuvination that went a little... overboard. I was aiming for fifteen at the earliest." She looked down at her nine-year old body, "I miscalculated. And you dont know who I am do you?"

"Sorry, not a clue."

"But you do know who that is, dont you?" Skye asked, pointing at the two guys who'd been dragged to an exhibit, allowing their conversation to raise in volume back to normal. "Bet you feel really lucky, or cursing cuz he wasn't interested."

"Um, no. Who is he?"

"Steve Rogers. SSR? Captain America?"

Clara frowned, "Isn't he a comic book character, like spiderman? Wait, he's real? like, really real, like Iron Man real?"

 

-

The Stark Industries Flying Car part of the Expo was a disaster.

During the sixteenth or so run of the presentation, the one Skye, Steve and Bucky attended with Bonnie and Connie/Clara, the car dropped, and Clara knew something was going to go wrong when Skye exclaimed, "Damnit, dont hurt lola!" and ran on stage and slapped Stark for 'hurting' the car.

Steve got up along with Bucky and dragged the girl back, though Howard Stark on the stage was smiling and apologetic - to skye.

After that, Steve snuck off to try again to join, and Skye followed with Clara eavesdropping, curious about a 'real life superhero' instead of the comic version she sort of knew of.

Skye coughed as Steve and Dr Erskine left the private booth in the recruitment area. Steve flinched at getting caught by her, since she'd be somewhat vocal before.

"Skye..."

"So... Dr Erskine." Skye spoke, attempting a professional look, that felt false on her young face, and tried not to giggle at the way the doc startled. "Just remember. The most important ingredient, is a good man." She tilted her head, and smiled as she glanced at Steve, "Though it looks like you've got that well in hand. Oh, and do remember to let the paranoid people do their jobs. Carry On, Doc."

She didn't stick around for the reaction, deciding to look at other stuff with Bucky, Bonnie, and Clara.

-

"Wait, you got in?" Bucky was incredulous as the three sat in Bucky's apartment.

"I report to Camp Lehigh on Monday." Steve spoke. "It's not front line, but... its something."

From the stack of paperwork she had half-buried herself with, almost metaphorically speaking, Skye snorted, and said, "It's a sciency thing, don't worry. It's not gonna kill him, W.B."

Bucky held in the question at the nickname, not the first and he had the feeling it was not the last time she'll call him that either.

"How did you know who that guy was, anyway?" Steve asked.

"The same people who want him dead, wanted me dead and damn near succeeded. hence those weird scars I've got." She reminded him of the stomach scars that had somehow remained when she was de-aged, and they remained how they'd appeared, adjusted for as though things happened without her having been physically older at any point. Therefore, they looked like she'd been shot there when she was three or four, versus her present nine years appearance. "Also hence why you found me homeless." Bucky was not all that upset when learning Steve had moved her in. Both gasped as she followed up with, "And also hence why I've been learning martial arts and how to handle smaller calibre guns. Can't handle the regular ones properly yet, stupid body."

She already knew them, but was taking a while to 'retrain' her body through morning tai chi (which Steve knew about) among other things.

"You..."

"Am very busy. Hush now."

Bucky peeked at the paperwork, and only caught a glimpse of one of the files before she closed them all and glared. Ineffectively, but still.

-

It wasn't long before Bucky was gone, and Steve was at Camp Lehigh, and Skye had nothing to do beyond her work.

So she settled for searching through the toolbox she'd brought with for details on Project Rebirth - she wanted to 'be in the area' when Steve was enhanced, and if - if - things stayed like the original timeline, she'd get 'in' by the combined effort of taking down a HYDRA agent, and prompting Steve to reveal her supposed connection to HYDRA - that of a target they want dead.

A few weeks later, it paid off, and she readied herself for the HYDRA agent, by anchoring his little jet boat thing and waiting for Steve to follow.

When that happened, she was disappointed her little warning of sorts apparently was either ignored or not enough. Though she was pleased to see Steve in his Beefy Form.

"So..." She spoke, "You're Not Red Skull Mark II?"

He sighed and smiled. "Yeah..." Then he dropped the smile. "Wait, how do..."

She lost her smile, and asked, "How is Doc Erskine? Please tell me the HYDRA agent here didn't kill him."

-

The agent did kill the guy, if only because the explosives got the man - not bullets, or whatever it was supposed to be originally.

When Steve brought her into the facility, it was the codes she'd pulled from the toolbox' records that she used to open the doors - surprising Steve but she just smiled and waltzed in like she owned the place.

Meeting Agent Carter of all people, brought her control to the breaking point, and she actually turned into a fangirl for a few minutes - to Steve's teasing delight, and Peggy's slight embarrassment.

Then she was really not happy at the part of history that many sought to keep quiet - the SSR didn't turn him into Captain America overnight, instead, he became a Showman, for some dude trying to get the civilian public to give extra support for buying bullets or something.

She refused to play her own part - apparently he'd heard about the "Side kick" who tied up the boat so the Cap could get to tie up the enemy agent, and offered her a stage dancing role. But she did get to travel with, and she found Steve's drawings over the next few weeks good, along with the shows that were mostly for the kids - the only time Steve  _didn't_ complain about what he was doing.

During that time, she trained, and trained him too. She stole his bike every time he gave a pass, since issuing pull ups was neither enforceable or an effective deterrent. Eventually he got the message, as slow as he was on the hint since she never said why. It didn't take long for it to go both ways, and he 'taught' her how to shoot - which was a surprise for her, nothing in his file said he knew how before the war, before he was the Captain. Apparently, bucky taught him because it was a barnes family tradition of sorts, one born of a time were the father was an actual hunter-gatherer with the wife staying in to look after the kids. Well, sort of. And she already knew how, he just helped her fix the mistakes she was making because, as good as she'd been as an adult, she was a kid and that was a whole different kettle of fish. But it took a while for her to get to a level that Steve thought was 'acceptable' for an adult soldier, though 'expert' for a kid. He didn't realise the difference between his expectations and the general public's.

Many women tried to come onto him, and thought that Skye was his daughter even, though both insisted that wasn't the case, he was just her guardian (which she did make legal). Skye liked to scare them all off with a really creepy sit-on-the-sidelines-sharpening-huge-knives thing.

Together, they modified a bike so she could ride it more comfortably - before she put some make-do fixes for reaching the foot controls - now, they were closer and the seat smaller. Steve didn't ask how she even knew to ride, as it was a 'Skye' thing.

One thing Steve found odd but didn't say anything about, was the last show before a planned trip to Europe, Some guy in a bow tie showed up with Clara.

-

"Captain Rogers... A Pleasure." Bowtie spoke while shaking his hand. "I'm the Doctor."

Skye chuckled before anyone could say a thing, and rather pointedly in tone, spoke, "Doctor Who?"

The Doctor grinned at her, knowing exactly why she said it. And... You are?" The Doctor asked.

"Skye. Like your predecessor would say, my life recently went through a bit of Wibbly Wobbly stuff."

He raised his eyebrows, and his chin shifted a little, like he wasn't expecting that. "Did you just say Skye?" He looked at Steve, then back at her.

She nodded. "Phil would be ecstatic to know I got to meet Ten's Successor."

"That's not all he'd be ecstatic over, either." The Doctor Agreed.

"Now, please tell me that we're not going to be attacked by... oh, I don't know... Sontarans... Or Weeping Angels. We're about to pack up for a trip to Europe." She winked for a second, and he returned it, though not so subtly.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Steve asked.

Clara turned up, though wearing her normal clothing, not her 'period specific' that she wore last time. "Hey Steve. Remember me?"

Steve nodded with a slight smile, and Clara quickly hugged Skye who returned it, and asked her what she'd asked the Doctor.

"Oh, no need to worry. Actually, I heard about the trip and because I know they wont let a nine year old go with-"

"WHAT?"

Steve looked a little guilty as she turned to him.

Clara continued, "I thought, why not join us for a bit."

-

"Okay, you have to take me there, like, right now." Skye spoke watching the plane as it flew off.

The Doctor sighed as he retreated under the glare of Clara, and neither he nor Skye knew whether it was Clara telling him to do so, or not to do so.

Skye turned and bolted for the TARDIS, parked nearby. As she approached, she came to a steady stop at the doors, and lightly, almost lovingly, spoke quietly. The others heard her, as they followed.

"Hey Sis. Hope he's been treating you right? And Clara? Or is she still hung up on your non-humanoid form?" A ding and the door opening, Skye whispered, "It'll take time, don't worry. She'll get there. I hope."

The Doctor was flabbergasted - since he hadn't specifically allowed Skye in. He followed with Clara confused on his heels, and saw as Skye went to the control console.

Still, quietly but still heard by all, Skye continued, as though in conversation that only she heard the other side of. "~Did he really? And does... oh, right. And what about the Van Baalen Brothers? Oh. Oh dear. I hope you knocked those two idiots into touch? Good. Oh, I spoke to Rory, he misses you a lot."

The Doctor figured it out, but Clara looked confused - she didn't know who Rory was.

"Oh, I'm sure he knows you miss him. Shame that you're locked out of New York while he's there." She looked up at The Doctor, and added, "And I'm sure Amy misses getting to play up the mother-in-law thing, to him, and just general sisterness with you... Oh, I know, they'd have had a lot of fun. Amy and Clara, loose on the time stream with a TARDIS? Oh dear."

"Are... Ar eyou talking to the TARDIS?" Clara asked, then added, "I mean, you can hear her?"

A nod.

A Hopeful look, "Could... Could you help me, talk to her? I mean... We've not exactly... gotten along. And I do, want to get along. Be.. friends.. sort of."

Skye just snorted. "That's why, Clara. The TARDIS... She's not an It. She's a person, who just... communicates telepathically with people who are open on that wavelength, well, after she was given temporary human form by a creature that does so because that's the only way a TARDIS is Vulnerable... Hush." She spoke, stroking a console at the rather alarming noises that had stuttered on for a moment. "It's over. Sorry, she doesn't like to talk about it. Change of topic. I need to get to Europe. TARDIS travel or not-"

The Doctor blinked as the doors shut and the engines started.

-

She entered Colonel Phillips tent as the news started to go around the camp, and knew Steve would be here.

"Colonel." She greeted. "Interesting coincidence, the camp he's to do his show, being your camp. And Agent Carter just happening to be in the neighbourhood with Howard Stark and one of his planes." He looked up and was surprised to see her, she could see it written on his face. She waved. "Yeah, I got a friend to give me a lift here. I didn't want to miss the heckling of the crowd to get the dancers back on... and I'm convinced that Steve knew it was coming, and was looking forward to not having to do his monkey routine again. Now, I know what you're thinking. Hush, I just do. Now... ahem.," With that, she stared at the wall, then sent him a grin and left. He saw the pistol in a holster revealed as she turned fast enough to open her jacket. the holster was sized for her frame, so he figured, she knew how.

Not on him if she gets herself killed.

-

"HEY, WE JUMP TOGETHER!"

Steve Startled, as did Peggy as Skye crawled out from behind some cases in her own odd ensemble that, curiously, matched his mis-matched look, and was carrying a modified rifle. One that looked well worn, and one Steve recognized.

"Skye?" Peggy asked.

Howard, however, spoke, "Wait, you're the girl who punched me at the expo!"

"For hurting Lola!" Skye spoke, though with a grin.

Peggy struggled not to laugh at that detail, though she did manage a stern look. "You shouldn't be here."

"Exactly. We're thirty seconds late to drop as of... mark." She looked at her watch and pointedly looked outside, and they saw her parachute already strapped on.

None of them anticipated her suddenly running and jumping.

Steve ran after, and followed.

-

She strode calmly through the prison, the guards had given her a look, but the HYDRA brand emblazened on her back and her sharp german-accented german had gotten them to allow it. She was posing as a HYDRA Officer who'd been 'deaged' by one of the scientists' experiments. As far as she knew, no such person existed... yet.

The guards were all on the upper observation floor - and would be dealt with by Steve. She was to actually open the cells though. Most of the cells were empty - their occupants at work. The rest, soldiers of the 107th Infantry along with remnants of other units recently captured, were in a handful of cells in the middle of the open-plan floor.

"Hey look fellas, they really must be scraping the bottom of the barrel here, they've sent us a kid." Dugan spoke.

She adopted a scowl and in german-accented english, spoke, "Hey. you think you can take me, you come on out here! Oh, you can't can you! Jokes on you, Old Man!"

The others laughed. then she put on a curious look. "You know what. You angered me. You'll pay." With that, she got out some keys she filched earlier and opened the door, then put up fists and got in a mock fighting stance. the others couldn't believe it.

"You WAnt to fight Nazi's, Old Man! Come on at em!"

She threw a fake punch - actually throwing him the set of keys to unlock everyones' cuffs.

Then as the Guards started to rush from doors on her floor, she gave em a grin, pulled out a pair of handguns - smaller ones than most, the soldiers could tell - and then actually turned her back to the open cell door and started to fire.

"Well! Come on and help me fight the bastards!"

"You heard her fellas!" Dugan spoke, passing the keys to another as soon as he'd uncuffed himself, and accepted her pistol and a reload. Together they both reloaded them, then back to back, started to move covering both sides as the group left.

-

She got into the second turret seat - beating the others to it, and manned the anti-personnel gun while the others continued to use the smaller rifles they'd taken. The let her, since though those were energy weapons, they still had some recoil for some reason, and it was too much for her to handle, while there was just a slight thrum felt from the turretted version.

After the group left the decimated base an hour or so later - as sun was coming up, she let one of the future Commandos take over, and sat in the back with Jacques Dernier and James Falsworth, who both proceeded to have an interesting conversation, the later knew french while Jacques' English was terrible, and Skye was fluent, she'd had years to learn several.

She told them how she ended up with Steve Rogers - and though everyone had seen  _him_ on the upper level, the part were it was her own little act that got her to the cell and then let them out, well, Falsworth half joked that it was her who broke them out, Steve was  _her_ backup.

On returning to base, Dugan, Falsworth and Dernier put themselves between her and a rather irate Agent Carter. She couldn't help chuckling - along with the laughter that broke out anyway - when Carter incredulously asked, "And What could she do, just Waltz right up to the cells and open the door?"

The look on her face when Dugan, holding his own laughter in, managed a straight face and replied, "Yep."

-

The next few years passed quickly.

Peggy never liked her being in the field - though it meant Peggy got to go with a  _lot_ more, which she liked. After the first mission she joined them on, she changed her mind on that. 

When Steve formed the Howling Commandos, with Bucky, Jacques Dernier, Dum Dum Dugan, James Falsworth, Gabe Jones, and Jim Morita, he didn't want Skye to join in, but he was surprised when the whole team 'voted' on it and only bucky had voted against, not knowing her skills. those two just kept their protests quiet after that.

She Settled into a more support role, working on communications with Morita, flexing her gun skills with Bucky for long range work that creeped most of them out, since neither could out shoot the other, and both were pretty good, but was willing to get up close and personal, and when she did, usually besides Dugan. And that was on purely combat stuff. Others, like infiltratrion, due her size she was often 'volunteered' for air-duct entry work, though that was because she was really good with tech.

Just because she was good though, didn't mean she was actually allowed to do the more front-line straight combat without partnering up with someone who 'overcompensated' for the differential, example, Dugan.

She also was banned from riding her own bike, ever, after the one time she did. Not because she couldn't - Steve had seen to that during the USO tours. But, because she destroyed it, ramming a tank. Then she was banned from driving, ever. That was due to sending a HYDRA Tank off a cliff, while still inside it with Gabe and Dernier, and only once it settled in the water, did she get out and had a long climb up a cliff face. even though each decision made sense at the time, the others couldn't help think she was just waiting for such opportunities.

And throughout, every time they hit a big HYDRA facility, she got to show off for the team, being able to get around and deactivate the self destruct mechanisms in various ways.

Then came a train job, unfortunately the team decided it was a two-man op - Steve and Bucky went ahead, with Morita, and Dernier on back end support. But there was a second mission in the general area, and that one they sent her to with the rest.

-

The Four Howling Commandos listened intently.

"Intelligence indicates the facility is a long-term storage depot. It has a small surface level, keeping regular items such as basic armor, normal weapons, regular vehicles and so on in the surface warehouse, however, beneath the facade, is a three-level underground facility storing much more dangerous items, including the sorts of energy weapons we keep encountering at the various major facilities. Prototypes, original-run models, not production models. And lots of information they've gathered over the years.

"It is moderately guarded, regular German military on the outskirts, and HYDRA Units within the facility. Normally we would need the full team and have support of regular infantry and tank units, however we do have an ace up our sleeve. The Facility seems to be designed to act as an emergency bunker, to withstand a high level of bombing, and even chemical attacks. The underground part that we're interested in has its own air filtration and recirculation system, during an attack the facility goes on lockdown, no one in, no one out, and everyone inside are all breathing the supposedly safe oxygen stored in large tanks. Which is where our little Duct Rat comes in."

Skye rolled her eyes while Falsworth chuckled, Jones nudged her playfully and Dugan hugged her and sent the pair and Peggy disappointed looks, playing up the protective role he'd tended to take outside of missions.

-

When the team finished the mission and returned to basecamp, they found a somber crowd, and upon hearing what had happened to Bucky, Skye ran off to her tent.

She knew what was to come for him. She'd wanted to be there, to stop it, timelines be damned.

Instead it was all happening again. Starting with the Scientist who would rebuild HYDRA being captured, and persuaded to talk.

-

While the main strike force began their departure, she did something she hadn't done in, years. Never here, And hardly ever before being here in the 1940s.

Excepting those, she only kills in combat. Those were special circumstances, like this one.

She dosed his food with tasteless knock-out drugs, then set it up so it would appear he hung himself.

He woke briefly, and she teased him, whispering Hail Hydra, in his ear, then kicked the chair from under him. Then she left, and tried to act like nothing was wrong as she and Dugan readied their arsenal, since it was to be more straightforward combat than anything else.

-

The Remaining Howling Commandos Gathered to toast, with Peggy and Phillips.

"With Hydra gone, the brass think they don't need us anymore." Was the gist of a long-winded speech Phillips began, and ended with news they'd be split off into their respective forces.

Skye though, she just laughed.

"The war's not over, Colonel. We've still got a job to do. They may not have supported the war toward the end, but we know they were still supplying the German Army with some of their technology. And I know the Russians have started to make their own inroads into capturing Hydra Cells and Technology. Allies now, but once their war is finished, I don't think we'll stay that way."

"And you suggest we try to do all that with a team of five, plus a nine year old?"

Skye grinned a little. "Six. Six and a half, including me."

She looked at Peggy and back.

Dugan agreed, "Peggy can keep pace with the best of us, with a pistol, outshoot a lot of us, and all while looking a damn sight better. And Seven." He ruffled Skye's hair to her protest, while explaining, "While there are things she can't do due to her size, the same can be said of all of us about things that she can, yet we can't, so that balances out. We're all equal."

-

Skye hugged the woman as she prepared to leave Europe for the first time in a year.

"Are you sure you want to stay?"

"I'd get bored in New York, all that city living... going to school, like they could teach me anything I need that I dont already know."

Peggy chuckled, and sent Dugan a stern look. "You, look after her."

"Cross my heart, Peg. I'd die first."

Skye rolled her eyes, and patted her side-arm. "Yeah, and if you keep playing the overprotective dad role, you'll end up that way sooner. Remember, I _know where you keep the booze, Mr fuelled-by-alcohol_."

The gang all laughed as Dugan mock gasped.

-

**1946, Belarus**

"You sure, Kiddo?"

"Please, I'm one of the best. Course I'm sure."

"Alright."

-

Dugan, and his much-changed team met up with the three SSR agents, plus a returning Commando.

"Well if it isn't my favourite Brit! Peg!"

Dugan engulfed her in an enthusiastic hug that she returned with gusto, and the three agents accompanying her were all shocked as they realized just who it was that had been sent to back them up, along with the part were Carter  _knew them_ , well, one of them, well enough that she'd do that.

"Now, I see we've got some fresh meat." She spoke as she parted, and Dugan laughed, but pointed out the same to her. "Quite. Introductions all around, I think. Everyone, this is Jack Thompson, Rick Ramirez and Mike Li, with the Strategic Scientific Reserve."

Dugan continued, "Pleasure. I'm Timothy Dugan, but you can just call me Dum Dum, and around you you'll find Sam Sawyer, Percival Pinkerton, and Jonathan Juniper."

Rick spoke up, "You four, you're the Howling Commandos..."

"I hate that name." 'Happy Sam' grumbled.

Dugan shook his head. "There's Six of us now. Our Fifth is on Recon, Said something about a school that was worrying."

"And Number Six?" Jack asked.

Dugan looked at him blankly for a second, then slowly looked at Peggy and him. "He doesn't know?"

She just gave a sheepish look.

"What?" Jack asked, confused.

Junior Juniper started to laugh, and Dugan spoke up, "What, did you think _Agent_  Carter was just arm candy for the Cap back in the day? Naw man. She's one of us. She never gave up her position on the team,. and if she tried, Skye would... I dunno, but it would be bad! We've had loads of close calls that were only that thanks to Peg."

"Who came up with the name?" Mike asked.

"That would be Skye."

"Skye?"

"You'll be meeting her soon enough." Pinky spoke up, only to be cut off from continuing when the entry flap into the little command post-tent was opened, and a little girl entered.

Peggy blinked, as the girl  _still_ appeared to be nine, though she knew not to say a word.

The other three agents with her all gasped, realizing several things., First, the age thing. Second, the girl was calmly carrying a heavy rifle with ease, third, the girls bared arms showed impressive muscle for a kid hence the ease. and forth, the not-at-all veiled dislike the girl was sending the three. And then the girl noticed Peggy.

"PEGGY!" She squealed, and somehow the girl was suddenly hugging Peggy tight, with her gear nicely piled in the doorway.

"...Need...Breathe..."

Skye Released her, and Peggy gave her a once over, "Please tell me that the blood isn't yours."

The girl nodded, "Nope. though you're not going to be happy with whose. or what."

-

**1948, Washington**

Skye looked around the table, and though she recognised some faces - Peggy and Phillips represented the SSR, Stark as an associate of the SSR, and Peggy doing double duty representing the Howling Commandos along with Dugan and herself - most she didn't.

She listened intently, and started to smile slowly as she realised she was being included - very much in an active way - as a founder of SHIELD. Something that seemed to surprise quite a few people, while others apparently knew of her.

She looked about ten, which was not spoken of by any, yet if she could hazard a guess, just those she knew personally (including stark, to her annoyance) knew about that issue.

Going by that as her age when she first met the pre-serum Steve, Peggy had already worked out that she was probably (supposedly) sixteen.

-

....SSKIP!

-

**2012**

Fury looked down at the 'hibernating' soldier, and then at the ten year old stood next to him. "I'm sure he'll find it easier if you were to go in there with him."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I'm sure that's better than just playing the radio broadcast of a game he attended himself. like you would have without me."

"hmm." He muttered as she left, and he was left trying to contain his inner fan at being in the presence of  _two_ iconic figures of SHIELD history - one being the first super soldier, the other being an actual Founder of SHIELD, though she'd disappeared a handful of years later, only to reappear recently. if it weren't for his finding her picture in the toolbox...

 

-

 


	2. Bonus Round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Players are all the Same, but having upset the rules so long ago, she honestly doesn't know how many details are different.

**The Triskelion**

Her appearance was an odd one. She was all of Four foot Eight inches tall, yet muscular, a lot more muscular than any child - male or female - of her apparent age. She looked twelve years old, though she honestly wasn't sure how to calculate that one.

She didn't wear the standard suit of those around her, either. Nor did she dress 'girly'. Much like how she dressed originally around this time, she wore regular pants, t-shirt and a denim jacket. But, half-zipped as it was, combined with the looser fit, just hanging off her frame, it hid that she wore a dual-pistol harness with two SIG compact 9mm pistols, along with two loaded magazines each.

Much like a girl her apparent age on a weekday morning, she had a themed backpack - though this one was Captain America themed, with the Cap's Shield and star taking centre-stage. the side open pockets were stuffed with normal things - a drinking bottle one side, bag of crisps the other. The bag had two large compartments, and a third smaller one. The small carried a set of headphones and her tablet computer, for use on the move, mostly when she's reading or watching movies, though she can and does use it for hacking, since its' got a case and small keyboard she can attach. The middle compartment held her large-ish Laptop, along with a disc reader, various cables neatly wrapped, and a large book between them. The last compartment, was not so normal. Efficiently packed, it contained long rods of malleable explosives (for, you know, just in case), micro timed detonators, micro remote detonators (and remotes), a set of grenades, a cylinder that most wouldn't recognise as a 'Mouse Hole' device,, an extendable rod and two stun pulse wave generator 'grenades', along with some SHIELD specialty devices such as 'lockpicks', flash stun discs, the like. If she ever thought about it, it would have made her feel giddy, having all that hardware, carrying it into SHIELD, while looking like a kid and getting only curious looks of the 'whats a kid doing here' kind. And disappointed in their security checks. okay so that compartment was shielded, but still. they just ran it through an x-ray and 'passed' it, without checking the contents were what they appeared on the scanner.

Her look was completed with her SHIELD Lanyard, though hers was different from every ones in that it only had the SHIELD Logo and the verification hologram covering the contacts on one side, and a black stripe down a long edge on the other side.

That was the only reason why, after the first security checkpoint, she was not stopped.

The Triskelion was a very large facility. There were various annexes dedicated to various roles. To the north, were the vehicle -whole and part - stores, armories, and more. On the D.C. side of the island, were the dedicated carrier drydocks, hidden from view by special hatches. Originally, they were designed for regular carriers, such as the Illiad, only later retrofitted for Helicarriers. On the Virginia side, the storage bays and workshops for cars, and other wheeled/tracked ground vehicles. along the centre, were the Quinjet and other air vehicle hangers and worshops, with Landing pads for the various vehicles between the tall 'spine'-like structure and the Carrier docks.

South of the Triskelion Tower, were the offices for various agency Liaisons. Had she been there during planning, she'd not have sequestered other agencies like that.

Then there was the core facility. The Four/Five-structure tower itself as composed of four columns - a central round column, with three further columns around, all topped by a 'plate' with four floors within. The surrounding columns were, for the most part, housing and offices, while the central column held storage spaces for high-value items (but not too high or dangerous). The 'Plate' was were the offices of the top brass were - the World Security Council, Director and Deputy Director offices, and all Level 9s and some 8s had offices within, those 8s who didn't, had offices in the North Column. Built into the base of the central and north columns, was the Operations facility, the base three floors acting as the secure entry and exit point to the outside world, for regular transport.

Skye's own Security Clearance meant that, should she ask for it, she'd have a large office and housing within the Tower. But she kept up the appearance of being just a kid who happens to have clearance for entry into the Triskelion in general, acting like she was here to meet a guardian. Not unheard of, though a rarity in of itself.

It was meeting one such kid that gave her the idea of doing this on a semi-regular basis. The difference was, a protocol built into her lanyard ensured security scanners 'ignored' her equipment and deleted the records of ever detecting them. The automatically created record for her entry would merely list backpack, computer, books, drink, crisps.

She got into an elevator for entry into the north tower/Operations Facility, and smiled at the suits already in as they called out their destinations. She waited until they all looked at her, winked at them, and spoke, "Floor Forty Two."

They all started to frown at her, then paused as the elevator began to move without acknowledgement. She grinned at them as they realized she was, apparently, authorized for entry to the floor that, normally, is restricted to Level five or above. But, it was not unheard of for kids to be given heavily-restricted access, ignorant of levels but specific to why they're there. Such as to allow a child to get to their guardian's office, or more official capacity, to see some SHIELD agent of whatever sort for whatever reason.

She was glad that no one else boarded as they exited on their floors, one, two and three at a time. When the last left, she held her lanyard to the built-in scanner for override purposes, and confirming it read her badge, spoke, "Priority Override. Floor Fifty-Three. Dismiss call for floor Forty Two."

The top four floors - Fifty one-through-Four, formed the top 'plate'. while Fifty One was mostly plant rooms - water service pipes ran up to the pump rooms on Fifty One, then were pumped to the rest of the entire facility, although there was an intermediate storage tank that could cover eight hours of use with no feed up to the tank, Fifty Two held the Level Eight offices. Fifty-Three, held the Level Nines, while Fifty Four - the top internal floor, held the Directors Office, WSC meeting room, as well as several Level Ten Offices currently unoccupied - well, except for two, but their regular occupants were occupied, additionally, the Deputy Director - regardless of level, but typically nine, enjoyed a roof-top view from Fifty Four. Additionally, with direct access to the Director, Deputy Director, and WSC Meeting room, there was a Helipad, the roof not fully symatrical or flat. And of course, the rest of that floor had a roof that sort of counted as 'Fifty Five'.

She could have called for Fifty Four, but there were systems she daren't trigger there, ones she had no access to.

Instead, she used the service access that, normally was used to get to the roof, though it had access to all floors with the card scanner. That way she got up without being noted by the secure systems pointed at the elevators. Somewhat of a design and security flaw, but then, you'd need a card like hers to get to the areas with the service access points.

She nicknamed it the Jeffries Tubes. using them, she could go almost anywhere - her card get her through secured hatches and the like, and stay off the network that she wanted to be off of, except when she allows.

Entering the Directors office through one such side door, silently, she watched Fury work for a few moments.

-

He looked up with a sigh, finishing his 'paper' work as well as his paperwork, and sent off the digital documents like putting the paper hardcopies in an out tray. He didn't look in her direction, nor could he see her, as she stood in his 'blind' side.

"Any particular reason for this visit?"

She tilted her head, curious. Outwardly, she appeared to be a little girl, not getting why, she was being asked that, but really she was wondering at his reaction.

She pulled out her tablet, as she stepped towards the desk in an arc, bringing herself into view before getting closer than he'd like her to without seeing. She shrugged her backpack fully off her shoulders in the same move, and as she stopped at the foot of his desk, lightly dropped it onto the floor and spoke, "I've been having trouble with my homework, Uncle Nick."

He sighed - louder, and much wearier, exhausted. and she thought she heard a mumble of 'why did I' something. She turned the screen on, and then did a finger gesture... and the lights flickered.

"Shadow Protocol active." came a tiny, tinny voice from the tablet.

"Problem?"

"Been exercising my talents, got recruited of sorts into The Rising Tide..." She grinned at his gobsmacked look. After New York, after SHIELD stopped being such a super-secret group, they were just one of several groups of 'hacktivits', though with more success breaking into shield systems. "Anyway, one of them got tapped for a hack into SHIELD. Money changed hands, and now I've got the problem of investigating the group that engaged his services. Calling themselves Centipede. And I might need a bit of support. Or..."

Skye had a plan. When she realized that despite there being no Hydra, (so far as she could tell at least, ever watching out for it), that group still existed - and checking, Garrett is an active Agent along with Ward... though it was odd, Ward's record indicated that he was found guilty on arson, but all other charges dropped and he was never broken out of prison, nor charged as an adult. Both different from, originally. Cybertek doesn't exist, so that brings Garrett as rogue into question. His record is, well, spotless. Though it was his visit to Ward in prison that apparently put Ward on the map - other than that visit, and later becoming his SO, there's no sign, with evidence against, the idea that they knew each other beyond that one meeting.

Some things are different, really different. There's no such person as Whitehall, for instance. Raina, she of the flower dresses, is a nurse at a civilian clinic helping people. Which, is ... weird. With NO suspicious activity. Skye checked, and actually managed to swing checking on her as a routine training Op. The overseeing agent would know that she's a potential, but so far only seems to be such, but since she's not an active threat, well, two birds.

She couldn't presume, she couldn't do, so on, on her own. She needed a team. And she's never wanted to be the leader, though she could do it. Well, with the right team. Too bad the Howling Commandos are dead or retired.

But she needed Fury to put the plan forward, though he would know that that was what she's building to.

"Or?"

"Well, I can't do it alone."

"You want a team. You think anyone would listen to what they presume to be a twelve year old?"

She just smiled a bit, but said nothing.

-

**Los Angeles Field Office**

_"Welcome to Level Seven, Agent Ward."_

_"Uh..."_

Skye grinned as she watched the meeting, not sure if this was how it went last time.

_"Under People Skills, She drew a, I think it's a... Poop, with knives sticking out of it..."_

She laughed out loud at that, thinking Maria Hill was awesome to do that sort of thing in official documents.

She watched as the meeting concluded, yet as Coulson left, she saw that the Doctor who had entered speaking about 'Fitzsimmons', asking if he knew what had happened.

That's something she was going to make different.

She wanted Coulson, because she knew what he was capable of, what was dormant in his head, and this time around, he'd been the one person she'd told the truth to, though conveniently not telling him he'd forget when (if) he died et cetera. Also, she'd worked with him for Tahiti, so she knew all about it, and no, she was not going to keep that from him if/when he brings it up. She wanted May, because she's just badass, and those two have been best friends for years. Ward, because if he's rogue, she wants to see it coming. If not, then yay, though this time around, Ew on a relationship, whichever age to go by. Fitzsimmons are just awesome. But, she'd left the team stuff to Nick... so it looked like everything on that was on track. She didn't want there to be appearance of a heavy hand in picking the team, or to reveal too much. Fury had his cards, she had her own.

Though she had paid attention to the briefing. Her hack, following the trail she'd left behind. Though they'd be surprised when they find the hacker to be a kid.

The problem was the Centipede lab. LA was a bust in terms of 'hooded hero' footage. On the other hand, Mike Peterson was missing, from his hospital bed after an accident at work. It did explode, just no super hero to entice Coulson, though with Fury's nudge, he'd still head for her.

-

She didn't have a van - for one, it got trashed by someone who didn't own it in the original timeline, who bought it earlier than she would have from a different one so on and so on - literally, that van with that plate did not match any of the owners between timelines - but she did have an alternate spot.

She sat in the cafe at the very table where she should have met Mike Peterson, laptop out, and coding her 'fall of shield hard drive security' program.

She saw them enter out of the corner of her eye, Coulson - who looked passed her as he looked around, so obviously, not recognising her - and Ward... who looked a little, different. Less sure of himself, somewhat, yet more confident. Odd combination.

Obviously, neither thought she could be their hacker...

Since she was the only one with a laptop in the place, and they were the only official types, in her act, She started to pack up, and managed to 'accidentally' send a worried look at the two agents and pull of a 'trying not to be noticed but failing' act, and the followed her out and onto the street, though keeping their distance.

She put on a panicing act, and looked back at them, then started running. Not at her top speed, no, but what would be for a regular shut-in-nerd.

-

The hood came off, and she saw she was... not... in handcuffs. Cool. She felt that there was an agent behind her, though she didn't let that agent know she knew.

She was in the cage on the bus. Not awesome. But as before.

Coulson and Ward entered, and she got a shock. Coulson was smiling in his usual genial way, though more than normal, like he was compensating for her age. Ward, though, he was scowling, why she didn't know. He was, angry...

He took the seat across from her, and looked to be trying to say something, then just blurted out, "Why the hell do you have my Personnel file on your laptop?"

And she just crapped her pants... though not literally. Downside to physically being a twelve year old pre-pubescent.

And normally, she wouldn't have such a file, accessable while it was... turned off.

"W...What?" She squeeked.

She almost hit herself for that, the shock getting to her.

"Ward! Back off!" Coulson commanded, and Ward leant back, but still angry.

And for a moment, she was back in the Hydra base in Colorado, the one HydraLeader!Ward had taken her to after a trip down a Drug-and-alien induced psychopath-lane.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, though it felt like her body was a distance away, and all she could see was a scarred, insane Ward with purple and red eyes.

Then it changed, out of focus, something close, as she heard a distant bang, like that of a bullet and for a moment, she thought she felt the impact of a bullet in her stomach.

Then the object came into focus, close... it was a face, coulson...

At first, she thought she saw blood on his hands as he tried to pet her? no, clean hands... but the blood, where did the blood go?

"It's alright, he's gone..."

Who's gone?

"Look at me, focus on me..."

She tried to shake her head, but that made her dizzy and she almost fell out of the chair.

"You're in shock, easy, easy... We're not going to hurt you..."

"... I... know..." She managed out, though trying to speak made her aware that she was hyperventilating, that and the blackness developing around her sight, and coulson was out of focus and who was stroking her back when she saw coulson's hands were on her shoulder and head and -

-

"You just kidnapped her, Phil, of course she was going to be in a panic!"

"She seemed to take it in stride somewhat... I just..."

"Just what?"

"It wasn't the kidnapping that got her. You heard her reply, May. I told her we weren't going to harm her and she said, 'I know'. We didn't set her off..."

_May? but it's september?_

"Ward... The way he lost his temper?"

_Wait, that voice..._

"Between that and the bruising Simmons found..."

"You think she was abused."

_What? Where the hell did they... wait, bruises? Not... oh.... damn. Well, huh... I guess this can play in my favour, but damnit if it doesn't make it harder when I come clean._

"I... I think she's waking up."

_Too late._

"Woke me."

_Yeah, I'm tired, so sue me for being short with you guys. and let you guys kidnap me, that was my plan? Sucky plan. And why the hell did I faint?_

"Sorry."

She opened her eyes and, yep, she was in the lab, and saw a worried Simmons looking over from one side of the room, while, Agent Awesome and his best friend, Agent Kick Ass - sorry, Agents Coulson and May stood either side of her.

She squinted - the light hurting, and on automatic, called out, "Computer, Reduce lighting to thirty percent."

The lights dimmed, and she blinked as she took in everyone's surprise... oh, she wasn't supposed to know about those controls, yet. Oops.

"So..uh... SHIELD, huh?" She looked around and saw the two cars on an open ramp. "Are we on a plane?"

May took the lead, after a glare at Coulson. "Yes."

Skye looked at her. "May, right?"

Raised eyebrow.  _Translation: How much did you hear? and What's your name?_

"Skye, and uh... Don't be mad at Phil, as far as he could tell, I'm the hacker you guys were going to, uh... arrest..." She scratched her head in thought, "Though I'm grateful for the no cuffs thing. Was it arrest?"

May nodded, as a light in her eyes told me that she knew why I mentioned that as much as what I mentioned. "We'll get to that in a moment. Doctor Simmons found some scarring and bruising..."

 _To go with, or refute... wait... Centipede did it! Well, it's true for some, like the stom... those are the only scars..._ She looked down and then at the doctor, and saw the group shift uncomfortably at her own embarrassment.

"I... uh... Cent.." Bang.  _'I have my orders.'_ Bang.

May's there, in my vision as it narrows again.

"Easy, Skye, focus on me, focus on my voice. Take a deep breath, skye, breathe in... and out..."

She followed the agent's lead for a minute, and sighed as she felt calm, and closed her eyes. She knew not practicing her Tai Chi and control would wear on her... but she didn't realise how much it would affect her, those memories, now she was on the Bus.

Maybe it was a bad idea.

"We dont have to-"

"I was shot."

Silence.

Skye gulped, took a deep breathe and tried to steadily exhale as the memory bubbled up again.

"It... It was a while ago. Two shots. Point... Point blank." _Focus on May, Focus on May_. "The bruising's recent though. Um, well, obviously. Not abuse."  _Dont look at Coulson, look at May. Focus on May. Calm. Control. Heart rate. May._ "They tried to kill me... I was getting too close."

"Who?"

"Centipede..." The group shared a look, and skye realised her eyesight had returned to normal, she had control, for now. "It's a research group, they paid one of my fellow Tide hackers to Hack into SHIELD for information on some guy named Han Chin, or Chan Yin, or something, something to do with Pyrokinesis, whatever that is."

May suddenly seemed harder, and it took Skye a second to realise that May had, let herself feel, to help her regain control. Only now, with mention of powers...

"Anyway It was real, uh, intel, that put a guy in danger. So I followed my supposed friend's breadcrumbs, and put in an order to the Chin guy's SHIELD Liaison to have the guy moved to an off-grid safehouse... Then I went in search of the group, Centipede, to find out just what the hell they are, and why this Chan guy matters when they're supposedly just a think tank researching the insects, centipede. Only, they're not, obviously..."

"Then you got shot."

 _Thank you coulson for stating the obvious_.

"I... I can't go after them on my own."

"And you shouldn't have to, that's our job."

She had to give it to him for leaving such an opening. "Yeah, your job. Yet you guys didn't even know they existed until I mentioned them."

"Skye." May chided.

"Sorry." She looked almost apologetic, but sighed. "I... I can't leave it alone. I tried. I tried to go back into... back to where I was staying, but... they found me. I don't know how."

Which is why Skye went with the team option in the first place, she had honestly tried doing it alone, although the 'back to a foster home' was a lie.

"Where have you been staying?" May asked.

 _In a SHIELD Safehouse setup by Fury for a Collapse-of-SHIELD worst case scenario, and it's not as big as this room, with no water and no electricity, only useful as a bolt hole, not to work from_. "I.. haven't."

-

She felt fit to burst, and it had been only when Simmons had set a plate of food in front of her that she realized how little she'd been eating for months since getting on the case.

Simmons had said she was actually acutely malnourished, and no surprise as a 'run away', and 'living on the street', though that sort of was what happened.

Though she'd also said she had remarkable musculature for her age - though there were signs that she had more muscle at one point and put the loss due to down time during her recovery.

when asked where, she didn't know why, but she answered that some island place called Tahiti, and when Simmons - in the same room as May - repeated the name, she'd added 'It's a Magical Place'... and May had frozen on the spot.

So it was a rather upsetting surprise when May had sequestered the pair after the meal in Skye's new bunk - same as original, though this time she was going to change lots, and add cubby holes - and asked her how she survived.

She struggled to tell the story without, well, revealing truths or telling lies. Just that someone had orders, shot her twice and left for dead, and was found bleeding out, then blacking out and waking up in some medical pod with the SHIELD symbol on it, and being told she'd been to a magical place called tahiti. Only, the way she said it made it sort of clear that she wasn't programmed to respond 'its a magical place' when asked 'tahiti?'

Simmons guessed then that she'd been hurt between a year and half to three years... so Skye told her two and a half, which was when she and Coulson worked the Tahiti project, well, for a short time. Also, from what she'd be on the lookout for, around when Centipede actually started showing up, though the Chitauri stuff was their first 'big break'.

Then May had asked her something she'd wondered about, checked up on, and actually been surprised, pleasantly and not all at the same time, about.

"What about your parents?"

"I... I don't know. I don't know who they are. The people on my birth certificate aren't my parents, they've never even met. I don't know where I come from. That's kind of why I started to..."

"Hack into SHIELD." May finished and Skye nodded.

"Can't even do DNA, because oddly enough, those two  _are_ a genetic match. But They've never... welll.. you know." She blushed, thinking about that, and May chuckled a little. "Was... Was that a Laugh"? A raised eyebrow  _Translation: and what's wrong with me laughing?_ "Wards' isn't the only file I had. I... when I realised SHIELD had finally tracked me down, well, I thought 'mostly' hence the cafe, I wanted to know who was after me... Ward's scary, and... he reminded me of something, hence that flashback when he..." She gulped, and took a slow shaky breath. "Anyway, I had files on all of you. which is where things get into coincidence territory. The woman who is supposedly but can't physically have ever been my mom? She's sort of a guidance councillor, anyway one of her students who went all dark side... um, well, the whole going dark side happened in a certain place mentioned in your file." Skye rushed the last bit out and bit her lip, seeing the woman lock up. Knowing the reach her hand out thing would be a wrong move, she spoke softly, like May had before, "May, focus on me May, focus on me. I know what you had had to do, but you're not a monster. Okay? okay. We good? good. Good enough for a hug? yeah I know, I had to try. I promise, by this months' end, you'll be Agent Cuddly."

-

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said probably not continue, but this bunny bit me again in both ankles, then drop-kicked me into my desk chair and has shackled my hands with short chains to the keyboard.
> 
>  
> 
> The Main Differences:  
> Ward is loyal to SHIELD. While his family life and the prison thing matches, up to Garrett's breakout... the differences are that Garrett met with but DIDN'T break Ward out, mainly he had insufficient manpower to do so, and without that nor large support, he would not be as confident in that long plan, so the meeting went differently, and he decided that ward was not a 'good candidate'.  
> HOWEVER, Garrett's visit to Ward was noted, an oddity in his case was picked up on, and further scrutiny leads to the 'tried as an adult' dropped, along with attempted manslaughter/murder charge, though guilty for arson, but released on time-served or whatever. based on his military school record, SHIELD themselves step in, as by this point they're aware of Wards' Family being not what they seem, though not what they are. He still becomes a specialist, after the Academy gaining Garrett as his SO, but Garrett doesn't confide in the kid, just training him as though he was still a loyal-to-SHIELD agent.  
> Over time, hasn't built up enough personal loyalty that when Ward is chosen by Coulson, (not suggested by garrett), Garrett doesn't get him to spy on the team. This has consequences...
> 
> May - Bahrain. Still happened.
> 
> Skye's Parents - Never met. Reinhardt/would-have-been-Whitehall died during the war *before* Steve took a flying header into Greenland, an otherwise subtle difference. Of course, some leaders died later, some the same, some not at all. but his cell was the one that would have captured Jaiying, had her touch the Diviner, and decades later cut her open to learn the secrets of immortality/whatever. Jaiying was still a member of the Inhuman Community, but gained her abilities much later, and didn't become a leader in the community, though she guided people after the change. Not as paranoid, her pattern of movement is different enough she never met Calvin Johnson, and even if she had and had a kid with him, having not been on Hydra radar meant that kid would have grown up with two parents, as it is, there is no relationship for them to have had a kid. She's probably still alive, or let herself die of old age, because the whole 'not cut up and reassembled frankenstein style' thing means she never lost part of herself... etc.
> 
> Cal never became Hyde.
> 
> as for the MCU's movie characters from the era... well, use your imagination for 'same but different conflicts'
> 
>  
> 
> and one last note: Agent Melinda Cuddly. Someone fanart it pwease! or point at a suitable 'cuddly bear mamma may' pic or something. suggestions for angles of 'attack' (aka enemies to come at Skye and Team AC. since this is NOT going to follow episode order. you know, wiith no Raina and Skye shortcircuiting Chan Ho Yin.)


	3. Okay so a little more...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now in the team, though not if you ask Coulson, it's time to deal with Centipede.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV shift - I keep writing in first person as I go along and have to backtrack (about the only as-I-write proofing I do)  
> So sod it, 1st person.  
> Also, since Mike isn't there as an antagonist... this fills in the gaps.
> 
> Also, I mentioned her bag and equipment in chap 2 when she was in the triskelion, only she wasn't picked up with them by Team Coulson in LA... something to think about.

**Los Angeles - The Bus Cargo Bay**

I  sighed and connected my laptop to the bus network, bypassing lockouts with ease. If there had been doubts about me being a skilled hacker, this dispelled it for May. "Okay, I'm accessing my Dropbox, and transferring all the intel I gathered to the Bus' server. It'll take a while, though, it's under a rather heavy Geo-Positioning-based encryption protocol I designed, and since I'm not in any of my pre-approved usual locales for decryption, I have to keep disengaging the autodelete programming."

Fitz had to ask, "You store highly valuable intelligence on  _Drop Box_?"

"I've been spying, right? All spies need a drop box to put their intel." I cheekily commented, getting groans for the pun from all but Ward, who at the back, struggled to keep a smile off his face - which was weird, puns had been the only bit of humor he showed in the early days from what I could remember without getting emotional feedback. This was an opportunity for that quirk to show, and he was trying to hide it. "But no, not Drop Box, as in the cloud storage company. An actual, Digital, Drop Box not susceptible to the whims of a commercial entity."

"You know you don't sound like a normal twelve year old."

I shrugged as I cracked part of the encryption, and the rest self-adjusted to resist further decryption, though the transfer could no go on ahead. "I haven't ever been a normal Twelve year old, or eleven, or ten, and so on. I've been after these guys for years, and they in turn. I had to go to pretty big lengths to hide from them, deleting all my records, changing even my name, though that was hardly a hardship. I hated the one the nuns gave me at the orphanage." I snorted, as the distant memories bubbled in the back of my mind, but ignoring them, I continued working, constantly disengaging backups and so on. Even so, I continued to converse. "So, uh... Fitz was it?"

Embarrassed at not introducing himself, he nodded. "Leo Fitz, I'm Engineering, and you already met, sort of, Jemma. Jemma Simmons, I mean. She's Biochem. I heard about what happened in the Cage up stairs earlier," I glance up at him, and see him fidgetting with is fingers, a nervous tick I only noticed after... cuba. distrubing. So I look back down as he gets to the point. "Grant Ward, he's a Specialist, they're sort of lone wolves, very good at their job, but bad people skills."

"Yeah, he was angry because I had his file." I comment, "including the part where in a review, under people skills there was a doodle of a poop with knives sticking out of it."

Coulson, having listened in, was eyes wide as that file had only been on the server for hours when they'd picked her up, but said nothing on that, only the doodle. "Actually, it was supposed to be a Porcupine."

I just gave him the same look I'd seen him give Maria, "No, I'm pretty sure it's a poop." I look back at May, and ask, "Does the Deputy Director usually doodle in official documents? Cause, I gotta say that's really awesome."

Everyone (except Ward who was a little put out) chuckled, and then I turned back to the laptop as the process finished. Quicker that I thought, and had to remember how much more advanced the plane was, which I shared with a grin and stare at the bus.

With that, I moved to the holotable, and before Fitz could protest, with ease I activated it and started to access the encrypted data to trigger an auto decryption routine.

"Okay, I can't decrypt here, but, as I said, it's a Location-based protocol tied into GPS systems, among other things. In the case of the Bus, one of the valid decryption locations is not on the ground, but along a specific flight path." I pause, and turn to Fitzsimmons, "You know how in some flying parts of computer games, a tutorial might include flying through rings? That sort of thing. a series of locations on our path trigger each stage of decryption, from disengaging security protocols, to the final part."

"That's... pretty impressive. Who made it?" Fitz had to ask.

"I did, and when I decided that I needed help from SHIELD. For now, I need to know what they were doing in the lab they blew up. Recent Explosion I posted about. The only name I had in connection to it, the guy's been missing for a while."

-

sssSKIP!

-

As Lola took off, I couldn't help relaxing enough to almost nod off, though the wind kept me awake.

"So, an 0-8-4, huh? Where?"

"You're not going to ask?"

"Object of Unknown Origin. Which I kinda count as, you realise?"

"How so?"

I look at him like he's an idiot, then realise, "May didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

So I explained it a little. Vaguely, enough that it is true, yet a lie, yet it's true. I pretty much went on faith that I was 'Daisy', that Cal and Jaiying were actually my parents, if they weren't then the lie is that we share DNA. And probably not, since I knew from helping some inhuman families that the post-transformation DNA was not passed on, the one part of the anatomy not altered by the change. the daughter of an actively-enhanced-at-the-time does not inherit the enhanced part. only the same potential to be. And hell, I had been injected with GH-325 twice - once in each timeline - so who knows how much my DNA has changed. My pre-change DNA had never been taken for analysis. By the time Simmons wanted to compare, what she had was too decayed, which is weird since crimes from decades ago are being solved because the DNA samples on file are still valid. It had only been the Terrigen-induced change that allowed her to see any change, and it wasn't as radical as she initially thought, unlike other Inhumans she got to monitor as they, under my guidance, went through the change.

Although I'm wondering on the effect it had on my psyche this go around. I find myself reacting like a kid one moment, an adult the next, and then there's my recollections of what happened before, and my response to remembering. I wasn't scared of Ward, in the cage. I was Terrified, enough to trigger a panic attack like I'd never had before, either timeline.

Looking at Simmons was, difficult. Seeing the bubbly girl that would in a few years be drowned out by the woman scared of enhanced people, wanting to put them down if she couldn't 'deconstruct' their enhancements. And I thought she'd been bad when I first became 'Quake'. Thank god she met Lincoln, though that interaction only delayed it.

And I'm honestly not sure I want to delay it here, whether for a long time or short. If I get my powers back, I  _need_ those gauntlets.

"Big Thoughts?"

I blink, and realise I'd gotten lost in my musings.

"Kinda. So, uh... Peru. Think we could detour on our way back to the Bus through Burbank? I need to pick up some things. Clothes, for instance." I shrugged. "I have a storage locker there."

-

I shrugged on the harness, and buckled it together. I gathered the pistols and magazines and slotted them into their holsters, the weight of two Sig P232 .380ACP's a comfort after so long without. On over the harness, I put a little sleeveless jacket, padded to go around the equipment. On top, I put on a Jacket, light, loose, and I used the little ties to hold it closed. Then I grabbed my backpack, and left the locker, locking on the way out. I met with Coulson back in the parking garage, to find him closing the trunk, inside a suitcase I'd prepped earlier and sent him with.

-

Peru was, mostly, the same. Though I didn't go with them, I stayed on the bus (booo!!! i was so bored that I used the time to prepare for the incoming enemy. Weapons I hid strapped beneath Lola) and when the Peruvians took over, I still had my own guns as they didn't search me. And I'd learned how to undo cuffs and had the picks already stashed in a little sleeve cuff pocket for it. And when they talked about the security protocol, I just sighed and pulled out my SHIELD Lanyard/card, swiped and went into the lab. Level 10 security beats lockdown. at their incredulous 'security protocols' protest I just told them to remember who they were talking to, when it comes to SHIELD, I'm not locked out of anything.

I let them think it was due to being a hacker.

Though that could be true.

That had been true.

Oh, and during the attack on the upper level, I had readied the inflatable without a word, and ended up shooting someone during the confusion. I dont think they saw me.

-

They saw me. well, He. Ward.

My little 'we all have secrets' didn't get the response it would if he were hydra, or .. centipede, I guess.

I overheard him tell Coulson, who didn't believe him, but I fessed up. It was weird. He guessed that being shot had made a big mark on me, enough to learn how to shoot in turn. Can't be shot if I shoot first, and don't miss.

I'm not sure how to, act, react, around him, Ward. He's so different from Garrett's Ward, from HydraLeader!Ward. And he's the same with me, though because I am a little bit split-personality.

After the celebration watching the nazi raygun be launched into space (hopefully for real) Fitz used the whole 'there's a kid on the bus as part of the team' thing to watch cartoons with me, and I let him, cuz, well, he's fitz. I like this fitz, who doesn't struggle with words, nor does he skip out on stuff like this, or the little celebrations. Ward had been invited, though I think Fitz was trying to get us to 'bury the hatchet'... figuratively, not... anyway... as nice as that image is, ward, hatchet, back, no, Ward turned the invite down. He's avoiding me.

Oh, well.

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks, I have an idea for 'The Asset' onward. and No Miles/Skye thing - ew, she's like, Twelve. Even though she is more like fifty in days lived.  
> Quinn had already been 'the money' and 'pretty-face recruiter' for Centipede - the latter much earlier with no Raina.  
> Skye and May would go in as parent/child, with May pretending to be the rising Tide hacker, and only once there in private at the party does Skye admit that, though quinn 'hasn't seen my face before today, he's the one who shot me. I looked different'.  
> Call it temporal echo, but when she reveals her name, Quinn DOES remember her, vaguely, though his imagination fills in the blanks, namely he sees himself shoot a younger child, not a grown woman named skye.  
> Unfortunately, her attempt to kill him with her two pistols smuggled in is thwarted by Gravitonium.  
> ... um, Girl in the Flower Dress is completely cut out - no Raina, shortcircuited the attempt to get Chan. Instead someone learns how to replicate the stuff that are in Samples that SHIELD stored - taken from Chan, so 'Scorch' remains a disenfranchised street magician for years to come. or goes mad and ends up two to the head for it. or something. Footnote.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that's CA:TFA and Agent Carter H.C. scenes rewrite over with. Is there then two skye's there or just one? (this idea: one, her actions result in no Calvin Zabo and no Darth Jaiying. Cal Johnson never even meets Jaiying, since she's never captured by HYDRA in the first place, therefore not in italy or wherever it was where SHI-DRA operatives with Whitehall to recapture. She died an old person before Skye was to be born.)  
> Though: The Winter Soldier is still the Winter Soldier, just not a HYDRA 'Asset'. more like 'enhanced and cryo-frozen but not mind-modified or periodically woken. so unknown to Romanoff. I think. Or HYDRA got in another route? :D or not inside SHIELD, but still exist in hibernation exterior to SHIELD (so Ward isn't HYDRA later on, though Garrett was recruited to them so THAT is still on track, along with Wards' possible sleeper-status but only in a 'he owes garrett and learning this lot he MIGHT go on with it but he never got recruited into HYDRA himself, since as it wasn't within SHIELD... though that begs the part of why Garrett would recruit him... or that was the plan but realised he'd just make a better (controllable) SHIELD agent, and better the cynical and mind-twisted screw up he knows than a fresh idealistic baby-face he doesn't.


End file.
